The present invention relates, in general, to skin care and household products, and in particular, to a new and useful gel or lotion which can be used for such things as sanitizing the hands, moisturizing and adding fragrance to the skin, a shampoo, a liquid soap product, a household cleanser and the like, which includes active ingredients such as antibacterial agents or essential oils, which are captured within friable beads.
The use of microencapsulation is known in various fields. Microencapsulation involves the capturing of active ingredients within a shell which can be broken or dissolved, depending on the environment in which the active ingredient is to be released. Generally, however, microencapsulation has been utilized in the pharmaceutical and quasi-pharmaceutical field, to time release medication, vitamins or minerals by encapsulating the active ingredient within a shell which dissolves over time in the stomach.
The use of encapsulated materials to control release and improve the stability of composition is well established. Encapsulation efficiency can be improved by reducing the relative percentage of the protective wall material and increasing the quantity of the core encapsulate. Emphasis has been place on maximizing the absolute delivery of the encapsulated core material. The present invention teaches the use of macro capsules (500-1,500 microns) as a way to visually mark the coverage of personal care, household and pharmaceutical preparations. Further, this invention teaches a very low concentration of core material (0.5% to 5.0%) is an effective way to provide controlled release and visual indication of product coverage, which is contrary to general teaching in this field. The present invention can also be used to mix incompatible, quasi-compatible or complimentary ingredient (carrier formula and beads contents) at the time of use.